Captain Kuchiki Takes a Holiday!
by mous1elousi3
Summary: Forced on leave by the Captain Commander, and then sent to the Living World by his little sister, Kuchiki Byakuya is reluctantly on holiday. And then he runs into Matsumoto Rangiku...
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: Byakuya with a little sister complex. *laughs***_

_*****xoxo*****_

**Ichi**

It was pathetic really, though Byakuya would never admit it, how tightly wound around Rukia's little finger he was. All it had taken for him to agree to this impromptu trip to the Living World, (after the Captain Commander had practically tossed him out of his division for two weeks leave on pain of imprisonment in the first place,) was one puppy-eyed look and a shy smile. He couldn't have had his bags packed fast enough.

Of course, one trip to Urahara's to collect a gigai was all it took to bring him back to his senses. What was he doing here in the Living World, really?

Okay, yes, there was the matter of the reservation to the seaside resort/onsen that Rukia had so painstakingly secured for him, (to hear her tell it,) that she had originally intended as a birthday gift. The Shinigami Women's Association had apparently spent a weekend there some months before and had had to practically tear some of their members away after. And though it was located on a tiny resort island off of Japan's southwest coast, the onsen itself was supposedly very private and luxurious, catering specifically to those who sought both and then some. After such a glowing recommendation (seriously, Rukia was practically glowing,) how could Byakuya possibly refuse?

But still, what was he doing here? He was Kuchiki Byakuya, Captain of the Sixth Division of the Gotei Thirteen, Twenty-Eighth Head of the Kuchiki Clan, one of the wealthiest men in the Seireitei and certainly the most powerful shinigami born into the family in many generations. He could decide for himself when he wanted a vacation and where it would be and didn't Yamamoto know it. But Kyouraku Shunsui was not Yamamoto and so when he decided that he had had enough of seeing Byakuya he ordered him to go on vacation. Talk about abuse of power.

Byakuya, of course, protested vehemently, but then Commander Kyouraku threatened to imprison him (and when that didn't work, Rukia, even if it meant Kurosaki Ichigo's return,) until he did. Byakuya had no choice but to relent. As much as he didn't really believe that Kyouraku could have imprisoned him or Rukia for something so trivial, he had no doubts that the man would do it anyway and then generally become so insufferable that taking an unplanned holiday would seem a ridiculously tiny price to pay.

And so here Byakuya was, seated on a rather uncomfortable wooden bench on a ferry to the resort island with a small duffel bag of belongings for the two week-stay, wondering who exactly he'd pissed off in a past life to incur such harassment in this one.

The Living World was not a place for someone like him to take a holiday. Not he who had grown up sheltered, privileged, and pampered, wanting for nothing, experiencing only the very best of what (after)life had to offer. He who was respected and even revered by people who only knew him by name, or, failing that, reputation alone. Here, he was here nobody. He was simply, per Urahara's machinations: Kuchiki Byakuya-_san_, mid-to-late twenties, former soldier-turned-man of leisure after inheriting the estate of his little-known wealthy family. It was not a life story that was supposed to cause too much trouble, unless he made the mistake of getting too close to any one human or did anything that caused too many questions, both of which were unlikely. In fact, the only thing that drew any attention as he was now was the fact that with his height, lightly-muscled build, pale complexion, sleek black hair and clear grey eyes combined with refined aristocratic features and deep baritone voice, he could be considered quite handsome. Though he ignored it, he had certainly noticed the number of looks, from men and women alike that he'd drawn the moment he set foot out of Urahara's shop. Why, there was even a small group of adoring fans on the ferry with him now, a handful of older women and adolescent schoolgirls giggling and whispering to themselves while sneaking looks his way whenever they thought he wasn't looking.

Byakuya could just see Hisana sitting beside him now, trying to be casual, to ignore the fact that it irritated her while holding his hand tightly and resting her head on his shoulder as they waited for the ferry ride to end. For all that Hisana had been so sweet and gentle and delicate, she could be quite possessive and jealous when she felt like it in a manner that brought a cute pout to her face and a thrill of passion for her surging through Byakuya's heart.

Sometimes Byakuya missed her so much it hurt.

He was startled from this train of thought when a woman passing by nearly fell into him, so preoccupied was she with whatever was going on with her cell phone. She quickly got up again, face red in embarrassment but then nearly fell over again when Byakuya made to help her right herself when she caught a glimpse of his face. It took her a little longer to recover this time, though she took care to apologise, stammering "G-gomen n-nasai" and bowing so deeply that he almost got a look down her low-necked top, and then beat a hasty retreat. Women, whether in Soul Society or the Living World they all eventually tried to turn his head. Instead of looking after her to see where she'd run off to, Byakuya instead turned his attention to the island they were steadily approaching.

Now that they were close enough to see it, it certainly looked like someplace Byakuya could tolerate for the next two weeks. Under the clear cerulean sky and brilliant golden sunlight, the island was a consistent tropical verdant except where it was broken up by the spread of human civilisation or steep rocky cliffs. There was a lighthouse atop those cliffs, and a large town beneath it with a port where he could count many fishing boats but thankfully no sign of the truly garish tourist attractions he'd expected. In fact, according to Rukia the biggest attractions on the island were a temple, the ancestral estate of an aristocratic family and a drama festival, which, just his luck, would be held during his stay. Perhaps there would be need for a calligrapher, or maybe a little poetry? While Byakuya had no real interest in human affairs it was not every day that he got an opportunity to exercise his hobbies and it really had been so long since his last holiday. He almost sighed. Maybe Commander Kyouraku, the irresponsible drunk and skirt-chaser he was, had been right?

Byakuya's life was filled with responsibilities and obligations, most of which were very important and time-consuming so that he really had very little time to simply be. As captain of the Sixth Division, which had charged itself with the responsibility of setting an example for all others in its dedication to obeying law and order, he was daily tasked with ensuring that his subordinates followed every little rule to a T. Okay fine, so really he had Abarai Renji do all that while he filled out tons of paperwork but Byakuya still insisted on carrying out barrack inspections himself once a month, uniform inspections once a week, and whenever his lieutenant was unavailable, oversee training sessions, recruitment, patrol dispatches, and several other various tasks that he found necessary. And of course Byakuya handed down punishments for infractions directly, rare though they were (he was _that_ good,) on matters as small as an incorrectly assembled shihakusho to desertion. And then when he left off that, he had to deal with being head of the Kuchiki. There were contracts to arrange, holdings to oversee, clan meetings to attend (especially with the remaining four Great Noble Houses,) family squabbles to settle, assassination attempts to avoid, and Rukia to spoil and keep away from Abarai's, Kurosaki Ichigo's or whoever else's grubby little hands. Some days he had no time to think of Hisana at all, to say nothing of other women for he was too busy trying to keep everything together. Of course the Elders hadn't liked this excuse one bit and especially since Hisana had had the audacity to die before gracing the clan with the future Twenty-Ninth Head. But Byakuya didn't really care at the moment. Apart from this holiday, the very last thing that Kuchiki Byakuya needed right now was dealing with some woman who wasn't Rukia.

So maybe the vacation was not all bad. Certainly no one who knew him personally would recognise him as he was now, relaxed, somewhat comfortable, his gigai already beginning to tan slightly in the sunny morning. Dressed in a white, printed long-sleeved t-shirt, khaki pants, black leather shoes and green scarf with his long hair loose and free to be swayed by the wind, he looked no different from any other untroubled young man out for the day. Rukia would probably faint from the shock of seeing her Nii-sama so if she could see him now. Hmm, maybe he could some kind of souvenir for her?

And then life (or rather _after_life) being what it was, decided to throw him another curveball.

Byakuya looked away from the view to check his phone (just because he was on vacation didn't mean that he didn't have a responsibility to watch out for the humans around him) and so caught a snatch of conversation that he'd earlier ignored as white noise.

"_... not looking for company today, but thanks for the offer."_

That voice. He didn't often speak to her, having almost no reason at all to do so generally given that they were in different divisions, but there was not a man in the Seireitei who wouldn't be able to pick out her voice from a crowd.

"_That goes double for your buddy, but maybe we can meet later, ne? I heard that there's this wonderful little Western-style bar in the town that I want to check out."_

Matsumoto Rangiku. It could be no one else, and since it was her, what the hell was she doing here?

Turning around as casually as possible, Byakuya said, "Matsumoto Rangiku, can I safely assume that your presence here is merely coincidence and not in fact yet another carefully orchestrated plan of the SWA to collect images of me for one of your infernal magazine projects?"

Judging from the way she nearly tumbled off her seat at the sight of him, wide-eyed and open-mouthed, he guessed not, but Byakuya had to be sure. The usually liquored-up lieutenant looked positively aghast to find another shinigami on the ferry, and more so one so high-ranking with the power to command her at will if the situation arose. He tried not to be more than a little miffed at her reaction; he was not a complete monster that issue with Rukia was a misunderstanding. (Coincidentally, that incident with Shiba Ganju was not, the man had no right to approach Rukia in such a threatening manner no matter what might've happened in their past.) Mildly, in the background he could hear the adolescents and the salarymen who had been flirting with Matsumoto whispering.

"_Pictures? Is he some kind of male model? Kyaa! I knew it!"_

"_Pictures? Do they know each other? Is he some kind of ex-lover?"_

"_Model? I wonder if he's in a band! He looks like he could be in a band! Oh, kawaii!"_

"_Did we walk into some kind of secret rendezvous?"_

"_Kyaa! I want that shirt! And the scarf! Do you think he'd give it to me if I asked?"_

Unflappable, Byakuya waited for Matsumoto to recover and reply, and when she did, she stammered, "K-Kuchiki t-Byakuya?"

She was still giving him that wide-eyed look of shock and horror, which, given Matsumoto's features looked, to be frank, adorable. In fact, if Byakuya didn't know her history he might have even considered them "cute" and "innocent" and "enticing" in a manner that stirred something long dormant in his soul, much to his horror and discomfort. But then again, this could all be part of the act.

The SWA were relentless and ruthless and particularly when it came to one of their "projects". Of course they had never, to his recollection, sent Matsumoto after him (typically it was Kusajishi, save for that one memorable occasion where they'd sent Lieutenants Kotetsu and Kurotsuchi) but there was a first time for everything and even _he_ had to admit she was difficult to ignore. Tall, slender and generously proportioned, with deep blue eyes, lightly tanned skin and cascades of golden blonde hair, and of course, _dat mole_, Matsumoto looked as if she been created for the sole purpose of seducing men. There were many rumours about her reputation, but most of it said that she was just a tease and especially when it came to her fellow lieutenants, Hisagi Shuuhei and Iba Tetszuaemon. (In fact, the current rumour was that she had just recently turned down Lieutenant Hisagi's _third_ proposal.) If ever there was a woman apart from Hisana capable of distracting Byakuya in _that_ way, it was definitely Matsumoto Rangiku, and that made her dangerous. Even now, here where (if he was correct) she was supposedly following him incognito she could not help wearing an outfit meant to draw as much attention to her voluptuous figure as possible. Despite the slightly chilly weather, more so on the open air deck of the ferry, Matsumoto was dressed in a fitted v-neck white hoodie (accessorised with a pair of necklaces that drew the eye to her bosom,) miniature black pleated skirt, bright pink boots and black leather jacket, with her very long hair thrown casually over one shoulder. Quite frankly it was years of practice at self-control (and the fact that it was completely beneath him and never something that he would ever actually do to a woman) that prevented Byakuya from giving in and drinking in her appearance like a man lost in the desert might go at an oasis. One of the salarymen at her side was actually drooling.

Byakuya replied, a little stiffly for his distaste at the man's shameless behaviour (and his own reaction,) "So this is a coincidence then, but should I expect to see you at the onsen as well?"

This little statement brought forth more excited squealing from the adolescent girls and a few envious looks from the salarymen but she just stammered, "Y-you're going to the onsen as well?" Then she seemed to remember something, and recovering quickly, said, "Oh that's right, Rukia made that reservation that time. I guess we will be then." Then she flashed him her trademark dazzling smile and one of the salarymen actually fell over. Byakuya felt an uncomfortable lurch in the pit of his stomach that he hadn't felt in a long time. Oh, this was not good.

Matsumoto ignored the fallen man, grabbed up her bag and left her adoring audience to take the vacant space beside Byakuya. The action allowed all eyes (yes, even Byakuya's, how could he not notice when she had meant for everyone to) to make note of the length (or lack thereof) of her skirt. And the first thing she said to him when she sat down, clearly unconcerned that he was a superior officer and a nobleman to boot now that they were anonymous souls in the Living World, was, "Well then, Captain Kuchiki, I think we're going to have a great time together."

Great. He was in big trouble.

_*****xoxo*****_

As per arrangements made via the phone at Urahara's, there was a private shuttle awaiting Byakuya at the port on landing. One could hardly expect Kuchiki Byakuya (again Twenty-Eighth Head of the Kuchiki and Captain of the Sixth Division, wealthiest man in the Seireitei and most powerful shinigami born into his family in generations,) to share his taxi with ordinary people, to say nothing of them being mere humans. But of course having unexpectedly run into Matsumoto Rangiku, one of the most beautiful women in the Seireitei (and now Living World,) Lieutenant of the Tenth Division, former denizen of the Rukongai and incorrigible seductress, that plan went out the window.

The moment they stepped off the ferry, the schoolgirls and salarymen tracking their exit with whispers and stares, a short, balding middle-aged man of pudgy build and nervous disposition came running up to them asking, "Kuchiki Byakuya-sama? Kuchiki Byakuya-sama?"

The man's body was turned to Byakuya but his eyes were on Matsumoto, who had now donned a pair of mirrored sunglasses and was lazily running her fingers through her hair. The action lifted the scent of her perfume, a gentle fruity fragrance off of her skin and sent it wafting over to Byakuya's nose. The earlier stirring in his soul started up again, almost making him twitch but he suppressed it with extreme prejudice and replied, "Yes, that would be me."

The man reluctantly dragged his eyes away from Matsumoto, bowed and said, "I am Tanabe Horu, I will be your driver. Please take care of me." Then his gaze wandered back to Matsumoto again, who had stubbornly not left Byakuya's side, and Tanabe asked, "And this is your wife? You didn't mention that she would be joining you but arrangements can be made at the ryokan to get you a bigger room."

Matsumoto quickly spoke up for the both of them, saying, "No, oh no, I'm not his wife. Matsumoto Rangiku, please take care of me too. We just met on the ferry and I'm just hoping to catch a ride. Apparently we're heading to the same place would you believe it?" The smirk she was wearing was positively scandalous, if not more than a little suggestive. Was she completely unaware of how that made her previous statement sound?

The man's attention had swung back to Matsumoto the moment she spoke, but now he turned back to Byakuya for permission. If it would not have been so undignified and completely out-of-character, a dangerous thing in the presence of Matsumoto the gossip-monger, Byakuya would've started swearing a blue streak. First he'd been forced on vacation by a man who should've never been made Captain Commander but for the fact that of the senior captains at the time he was the one they'd all seen as most suited. (Okay, so Unohana would have been infinitely better but she'd point-blank refused and there was no disagreeing with such a _pleasant_ smile.) Then he'd been manipulated by his beloved little sister into taking this trip but that was hardly something to complain about when she'd gone through all the trouble of arranging it for him. And now there was Matsumoto (and his surprisingly lustful reaction to her) to contend with. Could his life possibly get worse?

Judging from the way the little man had been looking between him and Matsumoto since she'd spoken, yes, yes it could. If Byakuya was not mistaken, and he doubted he was, this man was now thinking that Byakuya and Matsumoto had set this up as some kind of illicit secret rendezvous. Her explanation of them having just met on the ferry, true though it was, was most likely instead a ruse to throw off any suspicion to anyone who might be looking into their activities. And then the way she was dressed and standing so close to him... there was no way Byakuya was going to be sharing a shuttle with her now.

Then one of the salarymen, now off of the ferry and assembled a little ways from Byakuya and Matsumoto, awaiting their own shuttle, said, _"Oh Nee-san, you can have a ride with us, we've got plenty of room in our shuttle."_

_"I think I've fallen in love, Nee-san. Perhaps we should make a stop at the registry on our way?"_ asked another.

_"Nee-san, you don't look like you're from around here but I'm sure you know all kinds of fun things."_

Matsumoto's expression faltered for just a moment, a flash of irritation distorting her features in a manner that still somehow came off as pretty and this time suggesting that she was really serious about wanting to be alone when she'd brushed them off earlier. As far as Byakuya was concerned, Matsumoto had brought her troubles upon herself and deserved it. But that flash of irritation, did he imagine that look of pain? Why was he suddenly so annoyed that one of those men had dared to address a lieutenant of the Gotei Thirteen (though the human could hardly be expected to know that) in such a manner? Byakuya had no doubt that Matsumoto could take care of herself but there was no way he was going to let her draw unwanted interest when she beat the men within an inch of their lives with a body that didn't look as if it could survive her breaking a nail. (And that was the only reason!)

_Damn this woman_, thought Byakuya sourly before he replied, "It's fine by me." And before Matsumoto could thank him, he added, "Up front with the driver would be okay with you, wouldn't it Matsumoto-san?"

If his response annoyed her in the slightest Matsumoto did not show it but instead walked at once to the waiting minivan (without so much as an "Arigato, Kuchiki-taicho") and hopped into the front passenger seat. Byakuya looked at her go, then turned to give the salarymen a warning glare that had them quickly looking the other way before silently following her to take his place in the back. And once Tanabe had loaded their luggage in the trunk and got in to take them on their way, Byakuya shut the little wind in the glass separator between the front and back seats to prevent any attempts at conversation. But Matsumoto apparently wasn't in a chatty mood, instead focusing her attention on scanning, somewhat unconsciously, the layout of the town before them while Byakuya observed her for any sign of SWA-related mischief. If he asked her later, Byakuya was almost certain Matsumoto would recount for him in detail everything they had passed on the way from the port to the onsen. There had to be _some_ reason Captain Hitsugaya kept the woman around even though the he often expressed profound frustration with her attitude. (Byakuya was almost certain it wasn't for _that_ for all that the boy protested, Hitsugaya was still a kid and more concerned with Hinamori Momo anyway. No man could be that stone-faced around Matsumoto, no matter how well they maintained self-control.)

There was only one major urban area on the whole island, to its north-western edge where they landed after the two hour ferry ride, and then it gradually petered out to expanses of thick forest where the occasional shrine could be seen peeking out over the roadway or opened out to farmland and ranches. The island's economy was still largely based on fishing and farming, though in recent times they'd taken a turn into tourism, and so still maintained many of the features a quiet life based on working in the fields or the sea. There were signs for livestock crossing, or shops for boat and machine repair, and then too, one or two places where it was clear the inhabitants had decided to find a better life elsewhere. To Byakuya it reminded him of the more peaceful districts of Rukongai, where one could live without ever wanting or needed to set foot in another place. It was all so very rustic and charming and quite boring, to be frank. Byakuya knew at a glance that he much preferred his current life where he could occasionally find himself in the path of deadly predators, unscrupulous businessmen, scheming noblemen and their adulterous wives, manipulative little sisters and their soon-to-be belated red-haired friends and the like over the life of a rural farmer any day.

It should be noted though, that technically he was a farmer if only for he possessed some very fine holdings that provided wheat and other produce for the spiritually powerful in Soul Society. But, details.

Then Tanabe suddenly said to Matsumoto, "… yes, that is the temple up there. It is actually quite famous as a place to honour departed loved ones, especially since the lord who built it did so in honour of a beloved. Don't tell me that you've lost someone so soon? You're far too young to carry that kind of pain."

Against his will, Byakuya followed the Tanabe's instructions and just caught a glimpse of stone walls apparently bleached white by the sun. He quickly looked away again, this time to contemplate the man's words. If Tanabe only knew the truth, how much older than him they really were, how much they had lost... in Byakuya's opinion one was never old enough to lose a love.

Matsumoto replied without looking eerily echoing Byakuya's thoughts, "You're never too old or too young. But that was years ago and I didn't come here for that. Tell me about the theatre."

Tanabe launched immediately into his response with an eagerness that suggested he was very grateful for the change of topic having realised too late his blunder. Byakuya returned his attention to the view they were leisurely passing by, grateful for the change himself. This was a vacation; Rukia would be displeased if he returned in no better condition than he left. Hisana would never forgive him for wallowing in grief when he was supposed to be relaxing. And if Tanabe continued to make them uncomfortable Byakuya was going to have some words with whoever had hired him.

Just under half an hour after leaving the port, the trio arrived at the onsen. The onsen was built in the traditional style, something that looked Edo period if not older, a single-level wooden structure with elegantly-carved tile roof but modern sliding glass doors assembled at the entrance decorated like shogi. In a way it reminded him a little of the manor, but only at a higher elevation and staffed by people he did not know. The shuttle pulled up right at the entrance and the driver got out, first to let Matsumoto out though she was halfway there herself, and then him. Byakuya let him take his bag, and noticed only then that the man had also opted to carry one of Matsumoto's (how did he miss that she was carrying two?) The woman herself had already gone on ahead into the onsen to check in, as if the driver had been hired for her and not for Byakuya, demonstrating once again how much of a nuisance she was going to be if he let her, and Byakuya followed hoping desperately that the situation didn't worsen any further.

It did. Matsumoto had only hung around the counter long enough to collect her bag from the driver and then disappeared, presumably to go to her room. Byakuya checked in, ignored the faint blush on the cheeks of the concierge at the counter and the surreptitious glances she threw his way before deciding that she would lead him to his room herself. All the way there the woman tried to engage Byakuya in conversation, asking in a roundabout way as to his marital status, financial situation and place of residence. Byakuya evaded by asking about the onsen and its history, genuinely interested given that despite some modern upgrades the place had clearly been built more than a century or two previously. Then they got to his room and Matsumoto walked out of the one next to it clearly on her way to the bath, with a towel wrapped around her long golden hair, another draped over one arm and a bright blue yukata to wear after.

Oh, wonderful, wonderful, what good fun! Byakuya was going to spend the next two weeks (well hopefully one day, please let it be one day) next door to Matsumoto Rangiku. The SWA was going to have a field day if she somehow managed to get into his room.

And before Byakuya could consider trying to slip into his room before the infernal woman noticed, the equally infuriating concierge said rather too loudly, "Here we are, Kuchiki-sama. I do hope you will find everything to your liking."

Matsumoto swung round, fluttering her tiny skirt in a manner that made one of the male staff walking by rather red in the face. When the man then got a good look at the front of her though he very nearly tripped over his own feet, then straightened quickly and scurried away as fast as his legs could take him. Accustomed to such reactions, Matsumoto ignored the man completely to say to Byakuya, "Well hello again, captain. I see that we're neighbours!"

Byakuya decided to say nothing to this, the concierge gave Matsumoto a less-than-polite look but said sweetly, "Ah, Matsumoto-san is everything to your liking?"

Matsumoto must have noticed the woman's reaction for she said in a manner laden with suggestion and the stuff of fantasies, "It is now."

Good grief! Byakuya didn't bother to wait around for the ensuing squabble, if the reddening of the concierge's ears and cheeks was anything to go by. Without a word he turned and went into his room, sliding the door shut behind him. He still clearly heard Matsumoto say to the concierge as they apparently made their way down to the baths together, _"Oh, that? He was in the military with me and the girls. He's actually not my CO but if you think he's gorgeous you should see his lieutenant. (_What was she telling the woman? How dare she decide on her own what she going to share about him?_) Now, the last time I was here I heard that there was a covered bath? Where's that one? I think I want to be indoors for a while." _

When they were both out of earshot, Byakuya walked to the other end of his room and opened the shogi to find that he'd been given a room with a view of the sparkling cobalt sea, a small private bay and the lighthouse. There was a little balcony overlooking a well-kept garden now blooming in kaleidoscope, though primarily that same rich green that covered the entire island and the air was warm. He had to admit it was nice, something to get used to.

Then he heard a maid in the hallway knocking on the door of Matsumoto's now vacant room saying, _"Matsumoto-san, I have the sake you ordered. Matsumoto-san? Matsumoto-san?"_

It was going to be one long vacation.

_*****xoxo*****_

_**A/N: I don't know where I'm going with this. You've got your crack pairing (though I love them,) your slightly out-of-character Byakuya, the failed attempts at humour and well, so this is it. I think I'm just going to throw in whatever I like until I'm finished. I've been reading too many josei manga and looking for something at a beach resort or an onsen and this is what I came up with. Plus my current bout with writer's block is seriously messing with me so in a way this is my attempt to work through it. Yeah, I don't know how it's going to work out but I'm hoping it sounds better to others than it does to me. So, leave a review to tell me if it's not as bad as it sounds? Second chapter should be up in a week or as soon as I finish it. **_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Ahem. I know this is like, a year late. I apologise. A lot happened to me last year and the worst of it was not the writer's block. I would give anything for writer's block over that. But here I am again and I'm determined to finish. So… most of this was written within days of the first chapter being posted but for various reasons I never posted it. The main was actually the ended, totally wrong for the story, so let's see how this goes instead.**_

_**Disclaimer: Yeah, I'm not Japanese, a guy or, you know, a mangaka, so not mine. **_

**Ni**

Byakuya's first order of business once he'd settled into his room was to call home to Rukia. He had to know if the SWA had something to do with Matsumoto's presence on his vacation and if anyone would tell him of the group's activities when he asked it was Rukia. His lovely little baby sister would never lie to him.

Coincidentally, his calling her had nothing at all to do with him just wanting to hear the sound of her voice.

She answered the phone sleepily, her voice slightly hoarse. _"H-hello?"_ Why was she sleeping? According to the sync feature on his phone it should be the middle of the afternoon in Soul Society, though night had already fallen in the Living World. Did she work herself to exhaustion?

"Rukia," said Byakuya in response and waited for the sound of his voice to snap her to alertness. It was all he ever needed to do.

As expected, Rukia's next response was markedly more aware than her first had been. _"Nii-sama? You're at the onsen now?"_

"Yes. I am pleased with your decision. Thus far it has been acceptable," replied Byakuya. He omitted the fact that he'd long before decided that the onsen would be to his liking after having his personal secretary conduct a thorough inspection of the place before Rukia had first gone there with the SWA. There was no way Byakuya would've let his little sister go there if he hadn't approved. "How are things at the manor?"

"_Everything's fine. But you shouldn't be worrying about those things now that you're on vacation, Nii-sama. Everyone knows what to do and the steward has very specific instructions in case of an emergency,"_ Rukia replied.

Was that a sigh he heard in her voice? No, probably the sleepiness seeping in again. Why was she sleeping in the middle of the day? Did Renji do something? Did Kurosaki Ichigo do something? But no, he would certainly have been alerted by his investigators if that were the case.

Byakuya asked then, "And at work? I hear that Captain Ukitake has taken ill again?"

"_Yes, Nii-sama, he has, but everything's fine there too. I have Third Seats Kotsubaki and Kotetsu to help but nothing has been overwhelming so far."_

Byakuya considered her response for a bit and decided that it was satisfactory. Rukia had a duty to uphold to not disgrace the Kuchiki or her position and he doubted that she ever would. There was that one time in the Living World with the Fullbringers but Byakuya liked to think of it as a victory for Rukia too. It may not have been a physical one, for she had not managed to overpower her opponent in battle, but she had done something far greater in changing their mindset and thus prevented further unnecessary bloodshed. Rukia lived by the shinigami code that sought the best interest of humans over her own life, sometimes to her own detriment (the Kurosaki incident for one) and Byakuya was very proud of her for it. Yes it made him worry but what kind of big brother would he be if he didn't spare a thought for his sibling at least once a day?

"And at the Sixth Division?" asked Byakuya, knowing that Rukia would have been round to check on his lieutenant.

There was a slight pause before she replied, at a pitch a little higher than normal, _"Fine, fine. Renji has everything under control."_

Byakuya definitely did not like the sound of that. Abarai Renji was a hard worker, doubly so for the way he stuck out like a sore thumb in the straight-laced Sixth Division when he looked like a little punk, but he could be careless at times. He was another one thoroughly wrapped around Rukia's little finger, less able to resist her whims and fancies than Byakuya. That was because, in addition to having been her childhood friend, Abarai had fallen in love with Rukia. Byakuya pretended that he didn't know, but there was no denying the way the younger man's eyes tracked Rukia's every movement when she was in the room, or would seek out her reiatsu when she was out of sight, or would drop everything to rush to her side when she summoned him. It was actually quite comical at times. Not that Byakuya was going to encourage it if Abarai (or anyone for that matter, and especially Kurosaki Ichigo) ever decided to actively pursue Rukia, but for the time being he was content to sit back and watch the show.

Reminding himself though, that Rukia was probably not going to share if he asked for details on what might have gone wrong at his division (she would not lie, but she would not speak either if it meant getting her friends in trouble) Byakuya decided to get around to what he really wanted to know. Doing his best to phrase it as casually as possible, though knowing it to be impossible in the circumstances, Byakuya asked, "Tell me Rukia, has Captain Hitsugaya misplaced his lieutenant?"

Not expecting the question, Rukia blurted the first thing that came to mind. _"What?"_

"Or perhaps I should put it this way: is there any particular reason that Matsumoto Rangiku should be here with me, perhaps something in relation to a project for the _Seireitei Communication Monthly_ or Shinigami Women's Association?" asked Byakuya, choosing to ignore her first response.

"_No, no, not that I know of,"_ said Rukia. There was a pause, in which she appeared to mull this bit of information over, and then she said, _"But oh, Lieutenant Matsumoto's on holiday. Captain Hitsugaya gave her two weeks off because she hadn't taken any days off since the end of the war. Wait, she's at the onsen?"_

"Indeed," said Byakuya.

"_Oh, well if that is the case, could you look out for her, Nii-sama?"_ asked Rukia.

Byakuya could have dropped the phone. He nearly did, no one would've seen if he had, but he managed to secure his grip on it at the last minute before asking, "Rukia?"

Rukia's voice took on an entirely different tone, one that was shy, nervous and hesitant, as if what she was about to say embarrassed her but she would do it anyway. It so just so _cute_!

"_W-well you see, Nii-sama, Lieutenant Matsumoto has not been acting like herself of late and everyone's worried. We all know that she can take care of herself but she's in the Living World and there's all kind of trouble for her to get into in this state. I'm not saying that she doesn't know that she has a responsibility to keep Soul Society a secret and that she won't do what she has to, but we can't help but worry. Lieutenant Ise actually sent some people to look for her today when they found out that she wasn't at home. If she's with you this is the best possible thing," _said Rukia.

Byakuya had actually stopped listening when he realised that his little sister had just asked him (after repeatedly insisting before that he was on vacation and should not be worrying, mind) to look out for the lieutenant. What made it worse was that from her tone it was clear that she expected him to do it, as if this was going to be no trouble at all and not beneath him and an insult not only to himself, but to the lieutenant as well. He was going to do it anyway, yes, but that did not stop him from being offended by the whole thing.

"Rukia," he said. "Lieutenant Matsumoto is not only a grown woman but a competent shinigami of many years' experience, well capable of taking care of herself and others should the need arise. She does not nor has she ever required a babysitter and it would be a terrible insult to her for me to act in such a capacity without her permission. Not to mention that should she disgrace herself as a woman and a shinigami by her actions here she would deserve whatever punishment her captain or the Captain Commander decide to deliver upon her."

"_Yes Nii-sama, understood,"_ said Rukia. His sister's voice was soft, chastened by his reproach. It made him a little sad inside.

He suppressed a sigh at the thought of her unhappy face, and continued, "You should also understand that her actions suggest that the lieutenant wishes for some time to herself. In that regard, I cannot be expected to intrude upon her privacy to satisfy others."

"_Of course, Nii-sama. It-it was too bold of me,"_ said Rukia.

"However," said Byakuya, deciding that she'd been subjected to enough punishment. "You may inform Lieutenant Ise and Captain Hitsugaya that I shall keep watch over Lieutenant Matsumoto as best I can until we return to Soul Society."

Rukia's voice was notably brighter when she spoke again, saying, _"Yes, Nii-sama! Thank you, Nii-sama! I shall let them know immediately, Nii-sama!"_

Byakuya did not bother to hide the rare smile that lit up his face at the sound of her joy. Would there ever be a woman that Byakuya could love as much as he did Rukia? No, he didn't think so. His love for Hisana had been and would always be greater, far greater than anyone could ever imagine. Hisana, his wife, had been the answer to everything. She had calmed him, tamed his wild soul, tempered his mood and kept him sane when his duties had threatened to overwhelm him. Gone too soon, now it was Rukia who did so, though in a far different manner, and Byakuya hoped that she would maintain that role for as long as possible.

He was brought out from his thoughts by Rukia saying, _"Ah, Nii-sama, I'm going to have to go now. Please, continue to enjoy your holiday."_

"I will," said Byakuya. "Be safe, Rukia."

"_I will do my best, Nii-sama,"_ said Rukia, and then she was gone. Byakuya knew she would, and just in case he'd made it clear to Abarai and Kurosaki to make certain of it on pain of their respective deaths. It pleased him immensely that they immediately and unhesitatingly agreed.

Having spoken to Rukia now, and satisfied (somewhat) that Matsumoto was not a spy, Byakuya found that he had a new problem: how was he going to keep an eye on the Tenth Division Lieutenant without her knowledge or suspicion? The two almost never interacted, given that they moved in different social circles, and quite frankly Byakuya had never found a reason to initiate any form of conversation with the woman, even when she came to his division to pick up Abarai. Despite their interaction on the ferry, Byakuya was sure that if he approached Matsumoto now she would think that something was up. The woman was not just a pretty drunk and gossipmonger. To hear Abarai tell it, Matsumoto's friends among bartenders, shopkeepers and gossips made her well-informed on various matters within the districts under the Tenth Division's jurisdiction. Any approach not initiated by Matsumoto was bound to lead to trouble.

What on Earth had Byakuya just allowed Rukia to talk him into doing? Again?

Byakuya took a deep breath, exhaled heavily, swept his hair out of his face and then decided that he wasn't going to worry about it. They were next door neighbours, he was bound to run into her again at the onsen and when he did he would figure out what he was going to do. Besides, the brochure on this onsen had stated that their hot springs were "world famous" and he wanted to see for himself what made them so.

Thus decided, Byakuya stood from his place at the balcony and went back into his room to go to the bath.

If it would not have been so undignified, the moment Byakuya sat down in the bath when he got down to the springs, he would have allowed his body to slide all the way down until just his face was visible on the surface with a happy sigh of "Ahhh..."

But he didn't. He might have wanted to but this was not the behaviour of a Kuchiki, no matter where he was and so Byakuya did what was expected of him. In this case, it meant that when he stepped into the water he sat against one bank, leaned his head back on a pillow of shrubbery and closed his eyes for some quiet meditation.

At least, that was the plan.

He had been in the water for no more than a few minutes before the sound of voices alerted him to the arrival of others and he opened one eye to see the salarymen from earlier coming into the room. And as they had most certainly had been doing since meeting her on the boat, they were discussing Matsumoto Rangiku.

As can be expected of salarymen of course, this was hardly in a non-sexual manner.

"_Did you see those legs? I wonder how they'd look wrapped around my neck. I haven't been able to get them out of my head since I saw them."_

"_If I was drowning I'd definitely want her to come in and save me. Did you see her floats? If I was dying I'd want to die on them."_

"_She spoke perfect Japanese but do you think she's one of those foreigners? They're supposed to know a lot of interesting tricks, and if you ask, they'd be willing to do them too."_

"_Didn't that model man call her 'Matsumoto'? That's a Japanese name, but maybe she has foreigner blood in her. What was the man's name? Do you think he's her husband? They rode here together."_

Bristling slightly at the idea that he would ever be wed to Matsumoto Rangiku (the very idea, tempting yes, would certainly make him the most envied man in the Seireitei a third time given that he also rich and handsome, but come _on_) Byakuya waited for them to notice his presence. To his surprise though, they remained oblivious to the fact that one half of the topic of their discussion was seated right there. Perhaps the covered bath had become too steamed?

In fact, the men continued to talk about Matsumoto as they went about their pre-bath cleansing and then slipped into the water with Byakuya. And their lewd discussion became increasingly detailed to the point that Byakuya forgot about wanting them to notice him and stop talking about Matsumoto to just plain shutting them up before Senbonzakura took a cue from Kurosaki Ichigo's inner Hollow and took over the show.

Unbidden their loose talk was filling his head with ideas, so that he began to wonder himself just what Matsumoto Rangiku's expression would be if he ever decided to make her follow through on her flirtations. He could just see the pretty blush that would spread across her face when he kissed her, could picture the shyness that would overwhelm her as he disrobed her, could just imagine the flush that would flow across her skin as he embraced... okay, time for this to stop!

Byakuya stood up suddenly, the water rushing off his gigai's warmed epidermis exposing and defining the full scale of Urahara's attention to detail to anyone who looked. (Seriously, those gigai were a little too detailed for Byakuya's liking even if they adjusted according to the shinigami's build once worn.) The men, startled by his movement, were then further stunned to discover that he'd been there all this time they'd been talking about him and Matsumoto and immediately launched into profuse apologies.

"Oh! Forgive us, sir, we did not see you there!"

"We meant no disrespect to you or your wife, sir! A thousand apologies, sir!"

Byakuya ignored them, and having decided that after his move it was best not to remain, quietly got out of the spring and went to the changing rooms to go back to his room. The woman was not even with him and already she was stirring up trouble. He really needed to do some research on who he had to apologise to from his former life to spare him further pain. Also, he really needed to look into onsen where he could have the hot springs to himself. Perhaps there was even a way to have one constructed at Kuchiki Manor or, failing that, purchase property where that might be possible?

He was so caught up in this thought on business, now obsessed with the idea if it would rid his mind of the deluge of images of him and Matsumoto together, that he did not notice her until she walked right into him. The force of the collision threw them both off balance, entangled their legs and sent them both tumbling to the ground, Matsumoto squeaking and Byakuya trying as best as possible to angle their bodies so that he would absorb most of the blow. He landed on his back and right elbow hard, Matsumoto dropped onto his chest grasping hold of his yukata to keep herself from slipping to the ground and her long hair came cascading over their faces so that he was assaulted with the scent of the bath she'd just had, a little bit earthy and sulphurous.

"Ah! Captain Kuchiki! I'm so sorry! Forgive me sir! I didn't see you there," said Matsumoto, scrambling off of him as quickly as she could manage.

Byakuya looked at Matsumoto's retreat, her face red in embarrassment and eyes averted with no sign of the playfulness he imagined she would display if this had occurred between her and Renji. He ignored the twinge of jealousy at the fact that she had made no attempt to display such behaviour to him. He stamped down on the memory of her body over his, put down to his overactive imagination the idea that he'd felt every inch of wherever they'd touched as if his body had caught fire. None of this internal struggle he showed as he calmly got up off the floor and replied, "See to it that it doesn't happen again."

"It won't, sir," said Matsumoto quickly, her eyes still averted. His kosode had opened in the fall and he knew that she could very clearly see and was not trying to look at his bare chest as he straightened his clothes.

At least, he thought she wasn't until she said, with a saucy smile and a twinkle in her eyes, "Very nice, sir. We knew that whatever you were hiding under that uniform was worth the consequences on finding out."

"Lieutenant Matsumoto Rangiku," said Byakuya sternly.

She was unapologetic, and undeterred. "There's nothing to be ashamed of there, sir, I can assure you. Renji's got nothing on you. You really have it all, don't you?"

When had she seen Renji undressed? Why had he allowed that when he was supposed to be playing at courting Rukia? As a man, Byakuya understood that one could not be expected to wait eternally on the woman he desired to notice that he was alive and sometimes needed ways to "alleviate the pressure" so to speak, but this was a bit much. And how come he'd never come across the boy gossiping about it with Kurosaki or the other lieutenants, as he normally would?

Byakuya turned and began walking down the hall to his room. Why wasn't he in an extremely exclusive onsen again? Why were all these insufferable people allowed to interact with him so freely? Matsumoto followed him all the way back chattering incessantly, "I should get some pictures. Would you mind posing, sir? I know we usually don't ask but that's because we know that you're just going to say no and that's no fun. I promise I'll do it tastefully. I got some wonderful pictures of Captain Hitsugaya one time and he was just so adorable."

Byakuya listened to this with increasing irritation the further they went until finally he snapped. Already dealing with the stress of an impromptu holiday, meeting her on the ferry, the comments from the salarymen and his odd attraction to her, her incessant needling was the final straw.

He acted without thinking. Reaching out faster than she could see, he grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her into the first available room they came to and shut the door, pushing her up against it. That shut her right up, and left her staring at him stunned; unsure of what the hell was happening, how it had happened and why.

Whoops.

Well, since he'd already gone and blown it, revealing to her a side of him that he'd just earlier considered under control, Byakuya asked, a touch huskily, "How about I take some pictures of you? I imagine the Shinigami Men's Association would love that?"

Give Matsumoto credit, the woman could recover quickly. At his question she went from stunned to serious and said coldly, "Pictures of me don't come cheap, and I don't do nudes."

Byakuya let his gaze roam the length of her and felt a thrill of pride when she shrank back into the door a little under it. He looked up at her face again and said, "I wouldn't dare ask you such a thing." Then he stepped back.

For a moment she glared at him, her eyes bright with anger and her face flushed with fury, and then she dropped her gaze from his face and took a deep breath. A beat and then she looked up at him again with her usual happy smile and said, "So you do have a dark side. Rukia would never believe me."

He refused to give her the satisfaction of seeing his mortification on his face. He knew he had done a very seriously stupid thing and he did not even really understand why. This was not the way he planned on approaching her, ever. Maybe he could blame it on being in the bath too long? But hell was going to freeze over before he apologised, so he said, "Unlike some people, I know that some things are better kept private."

A mischievous twinkle appeared in her eye and she gave him a saucy smirk, and then she said, "So do I. No one would ever know."

Byakuya forced himself to remain unmoved. It was difficult. A lump had formed in his throat and instead of the cold disgust he expected he felt heat pooling in his groin. Soul King help him, but this woman was doing terrible things to his libido. But where his body was determined to betray him, his brain and tongue would not. He said, "I know you don't mean that offer and even if you did I have to decline. That would be highly inappropriate, Lieutenant Matsumoto."

"Says the man who just dragged me into an empty room as if he wanted to have his way with me away from witnesses," she muttered. Then louder, and with a mocking salute, "Understood, Captain. We shall never speak of this again. In fact, we're not having this conversation now. I'll just let myself out." She turned to do just that but then paused and looked back at him over a shoulder. The grin returned, and Byakuya felt a cold chill in his bones. Oblivious to this, she said, "But you know, sir, it would not do if something of this got out. In fact, I know some people in the Shinigami Women's Association who would be frankly outraged that such an incident occurred."

He was no fool. He spat, "Are you trying to blackmail me?"

Her grin widened and she replied, "Oh no, never, but I think that if anyone out there may have seen us just now and this becomes an issue the next time a shinigami decides to take a holiday here it is best to have a cover story… perhaps something that would account for you dragging me away… something like, I don't know, maybe I had finally talked you into taking some pictures for our album?"

"This is blackmail," he said.

"This is a cover story," she corrected, still grinning. "In fact, it is so good no one would ever question it."

"No, it's horrible and if I did it there would be questions," said Byakuya. "I would never willingly pose for anything for you."

"I'll say Rukia arranged it," said Matsumoto, the grin gone, all business now. It was unnerving how quickly this woman could switch off her playfulness when the need required. No wonder she had been in a relationship with Captain Ichimaru, but where that man was a fox, or better yet a snake, she was a cat. Her zanpakuto fitted her perfectly. One could never tell where they really stood with a cat.

Byakuya gave her offer a moment's serious consideration and decided that actually this might work. Once he gave Rukia a very heavily edited version of events first of course he was sure that she would not object to corroborating their story. After all, she was the one who put him in this position, never mind his actions thereafter. That was the fumes and the heat talking. He said, "That seems… reasonable."

"Wonderful!" said Matsumoto with a bright smile, and then she winked at him and swirled out of the room.

The moment the door shut behind her, Byakuya dropped to his knees and said, "What have I done?"


End file.
